In the early days of social media, many training sessions about Social Media included discussions about what happens when a customer posts a complaint on social media. Whilst everyone was delighted when compliments were dished out, very few knew how to handle the posts that had some negative connotations appropriately and how to turn these into an opportunity, showcasing the companies’ philosophy and gaining trust.
Today that experience seems light years away, and whilst not everyone has come to grips with how best to tackle problems that are aired publicly, many businesses appreciate that social customer relationship management is a very valuable resource.
Irrelevant of whether you have a Facebook page or not, there is a big possibility that somewhere, someone has mentioned your business in a positive or not so positive way. Take for example the case of the business that ignores the pleas of the customer about some particular issue in service provision. There is nothing stopping the customer from venting out his or her frustration online and letting everyone know about the company that failed to raise up to the occasion and respond. And there is nothing that the company can do to stop the customer from doing so….
Today the savvy organisations are those that whilst they proactively leverage the benefits of the social media and use it a megaphone to bring their brand to friends of friends, they are also devoted to listening where their company is being mentioned in whatever channel and at whatever hour! Naturally they are ready to jump in and handle any messages, posted publicly or privately on social media. This is one fantastic way of bridging the gap between the customer and the company. The way in which complaints are handled often make the difference between winning or losing the client for life.
Social CRM can be considered as a form of higher CRM, and this is truly the case because apart from conversations that can happen, one is also looking at the mentions. The response on the different channels is an integral part of modern marketing and can include facets that are meant to build or strengthen the brand, increase sales, provide support and improve the customer experience. To top it all, when orchestrated correctly, social CRM can bring in a fantastic marketing research opportunity. Naturally the right sort of tools is needed to aid the marketing team handle this task on a daily basis and one cannot ignore that in order to reap the diamonds from the social media mine, one has to respect and acknowledge the customer who is armed with knowledge.
Is your company engaged purely in reactive social CRM or have you taken a proactive stance to advocate your business? Are you ready to handle the complaints if they rain down? Do you know how to make sure that the compliments you’re showered with, reach far and wide? At Keen, we can make sure that you’re rightly geared up to avoid missing any opportunity – Let’s have a chat to see how we can help you.